Public Health

Pride in the Profession Award

Judith Broder, MD, Los Angeles, CA – The Soldiers Project
Many people in the military are apprehensive to seek help for issues such as PTSD, depression and family problems through military channels, for fear it could adversely affect their careers.  Judith Broder, MD launched The Soldiers Project, offering free and confidential mental health services for the military and their families.  Now, there are 400 licensed therapists participating in the program, and in Southern California alone, over 300 people have consulted these therapists.  The program has expanded to Seattle, Chicago, New York City, Sacramento and San Diego. 

Javier Davila, MD, Whittier, CA - American Indian Healing Center
It is a common misconception that the health care needs of the American Indian community are met through government programs.  In fact, urban American Indians are among the most impoverished and medically underserved group in the nation.  Javier 'Hawk' Davila, MD recognized this need and founded the American Indian Healing Center in 2000, and serves as a medical home to over 1500 American Indians in Los Angeles and Orange counties.

Dr. Nathan Davis International Award in Medicine

Richard Bransford, MD, Kijabe, Kenya, East Africa - Bethany Kids Center at Kijabe Hospital
Richard Bransford, MD has spent a lifetime in service transforming the lives of disabled children of Africa.  In 2004, he founded Bethany Kids at Kijabe, which has become known throughout Africa as a referral center for disabled children.  At fourteen outreach clinics across Kenya, nurses and doctors assess new and previously treated patients. African trainee doctors work alongside Dr. Bransford's team to learn specialized operations.  He has ensured his work is sustainable, establishing organizations to continue to fund and train surgeons in Africa. 

Jack B. McConnell, MD Award for Excellence in Volunteerism

Zaven Ayanian, MD, Redbank, NJ - The Parker Family Health Center
In 2000, as the second physician volunteer to be recruited to launch the Parker Family Health Center, Zaven Ayanian, MD has been there from the beginning.  The free clinic evolved from a walk-in clinic open two nights a week into a six-day-a-week comprehensive health care source.  Now, after nine years of volunteerism, Dr. Ayanian has helped to build an organization that provides 10,000 patient visits annually with support from 200 volunteers

Robert Kendall, MD, Winchester, VA - Our Health, Inc.
Robert Kendall, MD boldly envisioned a health care model that provided coordinated, collaborative, high quality health care to disadvantaged populations.  Dr. Kendall made it happen through Our Health, Inc.  Our Health provides ‘one stop shopping’ for low income, uninsured and underinsured citizens of Frederick and Clarke Counties and the city of Winchester, Virginia.  Started in 1999, Our Health links twenty-nine different agencies together.  The result is astounding – this network serves 15,000 people annually. 

Early Career Physician Leadership Award Recipients

Shakeeb Chinoy, MD, Grand Rapids, MI
Jerry Halverson, MD, Fitchburg, WI
Andrea Hillerud, MD, Eau Claire, WI
Nathaniel Schlicher, MD, JD, Gig Harbor, WA

Resident and Fellow Leadership Award Recipients

Brooke Albright, MD, Anesthesiology Residency, St. Vincents Medical Center, New York, NY
Timothy Beacham, MD, Pain Management Fellowship, Department of Anesthesiology, University of Mississippi Medical Center
Kaedrea Jackson, MD, Emergency Medicine and Internal Medicine Residency, SUNY Downstate Medical Center
Arturo Loaiza-Bonilla, MD, Internal Medicine Residency, Harbor Hospital Center, Baltimore, MD
Rashid Rashid, MD, PhD, Dermatology Residency, MD Anderson Cancer Center – UT Houston
William J. Walsh, MD, MPH, Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine Fellowship, University of Utah

Medical Student Leadership Award Recipients

Ryan Anderson, Washington University School of Medicine
Maya Babu, Harvard Medical School
Natasha Bhuyan, University of Arizona College of Medicine
Courtney Bovee, University of South Florida College of Medicine
Shelly Choo, Johns Hopkins School of Medicine
Travelle Franklin-Ford, University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health
Sachin Jha, Eastern Virginia Medical School
Aaron Kithcart, The Ohio State University
Sebastian Lara, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine
Amanda Mure, University of Toledo College of Medicine
Christina O'Hara, Quillen College of Medicine
Marizabel Orellana, UCR/UCLA Thomas Haider Program in Biomedical Sciences
Andrey Ostrovsky, Boston University School of Medicine
Rosalyn Plotzker, SUNY Downstate College of Medicine
Walavan Sivakumar, Keck School of Medicine at USC
Ricci Rivera Sylla, University of Toledo College of Medicine
Justin Taylor, University of New Mexico School of Medicine
Timothy Van Johnson, Emory University School of Medicine
Brandon Wojcik, University of Michigan Medical School
Patrick Woodard, University of Nevada School of Medicine

Aiding underserved U.S. Patients

The Pride in the Profession Awards honor physicians whose lives encompass the true spirit of being a medical professional: caring for people. By practicing medicine in areas of challenge or crisis, or by devoting their time to volunteerism or public service, these physicians serve as the voice of patients in the United States who otherwise might not be heard.

Criteria

To qualify, nominees must:

• Promote the art and science of medicine and the betterment of the public health
• Embody the values of the medical profession through leadership, service, excellence, integrity and ethical behavior
• Enrich patients, colleagues and the community through dedicated medical practice or service
• Offer better access to quality health care for an underserved patient population in the U.S.

A $2,500 grant will be given to the institution or organization with which the recipient works. The recipient will also receive travel expenses and accommodations to the Excellence in Medicine Awards banquet on March 1, 2010 and the AMA National Advocacy Conference on March 2 & 3, 2010 in Washington D.C.

Improving health care globally

Named for the founder of the AMA, the Dr. Nathan Davis International Award in Medicine recognizes physicians whose influence reach the international patient population and change the future of their medical care. By treating, educating and counseling patients beyond the U.S. border, the physician’s work is having a positive impact on health care in the global arena.

Criteria

To qualify, nominees must:

• Have improved dramatically medical practice, medical education or medical research outside of the United States
• Embody the values of the medical profession through leadership, service, excellence, integrity and ethical behavior
• During a lifetime of service or in a current initiative, has benefited the health and well-being of a specific patient population

A $2,500 grant will be given to the institution or organization with which the recipient works. The recipient will also receive travel expenses and accommodations to the Excellence in Medicine Awards banquet on March 1, 2010 and the AMA National Advocacy Conference on March 2 & 3, 2010 in Washington D.C.

Senior physician volunteerism

The Jack B. McConnell, MD, Award for Excellence in Volunteerism recognizes the work of senior physicians who provides treatment to U.S. patients who lack access to health care. After a full career of practice, these physicians remain dedicated to the future of medicine through the spirit of volunteerism.

Criteria

To qualify, nominees must:

• Have volunteered a significant portion of their medical services while over the age of 55.
• Demonstrate their commitment to health care access by assisting underserved U.S. patients.

A $2,500 grant will be given to the institution or organization with which the recipient works. The recipient will also receive travel expenses and accommodations to the Excellence in Medicine Awards banquet on March 1, 2010 and the AMA National Advocacy Conference on March 1-3, 2010, in Washington D.C.

Developing leaders in medicine

An exceptional medical professional goes beyond the medical practice to positively influence health care. Through organized medicine and community activities, individuals from each stage of the physician lifecycle can—and do—make a difference in the quality of health care and the medical environment.

The Leadership Awards are presented to 15 medical students, 10 residents/fellows and 5 early career physicians to recognize their strong, nonclinical leadership skills in advocacy, community service and/or education.

Criteria

All Leadership Awards are self-nominated, with applicants responsible for submitting all appropriate materials and documentation.

To qualify, applicants must demonstrate outstanding leadership in the areas of advocacy, community service and/or education and be either:

• A medical student enrolled in an accredited medical school through 2010
• A resident physician enrolled in an accredited residency program through 2010, or a fellow physician enrolled in a fellowship program through 2010
• An early-career physician under the age of 40 or in his or her first eight years of practice following residency/fellowship

Award recipients will be invited to attend leadership development training on February 28 & March 1, 2010, in Washington, D.C. This training will strengthen leadership skills and result in a greater effort to advance health care in America. Directly following the training, recipients will attend the Excellence in Medicine Awards banquet on March 1 and stay for the AMA National Advocacy Conference, March 1-3. Airfare and accommodations are provided, in addition to a nominal reimbursement to help defray additional travel-related costs.

The 2010 deadline has passed. Applications for the 2011 awards will be posted in the fall of 2010.

The 2009 AMA Foundation Excellence in Medicine Awards dinner was held in Washington D.C. on March 9, 2009, prior to the AMA National Advocacy Conference. These awards recognize those who exemplify the highest values of altruism, compassion, leadership and dedication to patient care.

View photos of the six recipients of the 2009 Excellence in Medicine Awards.

View a slideshow of the 2009 Excellence in Medicine Awards program.  This link will take you off the AMA Web site. The AMA is not responsible for the content of other Web sites.

Pride in the Profession Awards

• Randi Abramson, MD has dedicated her career to providing primary care to uninsured, primarily African-American and Latino patients through Bread for the City, a Washington DC clinic that provides over 8000 patient visits each year. Learn more about Randi Abramson, MD.
• Regina Benjamin, MD, MBA founded the Bayou La Batre Rural Health Clinic in Alabama and has rebuilt the clinic three times, after Hurricanes George and Katrina, as well as a fire. One third of this small fishing village is comprised of immigrants from Vietnam, Cambodia and Laos and more than 1 in 5 families live below the poverty level. Learn more about Regina Benjamin, MD, MBA.
• David Muller, MD's entire clinical practice revolves around the care of homebound patients in New York City. Dr. Muller spearheaded Mount Sinai Visiting Doctors, the largest academic physician home visiting program in the country, which provides primary care and end-of-life care for 1000 homebound patients annually in Harlem. Learn more about David Muller, MD.
• Nancy Oriol, MD founded the Family Van, a mobile clinic in Boston's underserved communities, that has served 80,000 patients over the past 16 years and has been replicated in other communities in the United States. Cultural competence and respect are a cornerstone of this program. Learn more about Nancy Oriol, MD.

Dr. Nathan Davis International Award in Medicine

• AppaRao Mukkamala, MD, from Grand Blanc, Michigan, established NRI Medical College and General Hospital in the state of Andhra Pradesh, India. The medical school has dramatically impacted health care in India by providing a stream of physicians into the country as well as cutting-edge medical research and free care to the community. Learn more about AppaRao Mukkamala, MD.

Jack B. McConnell, MD Award for Excellence in Volunteerism:

• Richard Baylor, MD, an 85 year old retired physician from Kilmarnock, Virginia, spearheaded the Northern Neck Free Health Clinic at the age of 70. He recently stepped down as Medical Director but continues to have a daily presence at the clinic. During his tenure, the clinic has provided $26 million in health care to the working poor, touching 4,500 patients and providing more than 58,000 patient visits. Learn more about Richard Baylor, MD.

Leadership Awards

View the 2009 Leadership Award Recipients

Thank you to the many organizations who supported the 2009 AMA Foundation Excellence in Medicine Awards with a table sponsorship:

• The American Association of Physicians of Indian Origin
• The American Medical Association
• The American Medical Association Alliance
• The Massachusetts Medical Society
• The Medical Society of New Jersey & Drs. Peter Carmel and Jacqueline Bello
• The Medical Society of the State of New York
• The Medical Society of Virginia

Jack B. McConnell, MD
Learn about Jack B. McConnell, MD, the namesake of the AMA Foundation’s senior physician volunteerism award and founder of Volunteers in Medicine. Note:  The first link leads to a Today Show feature from March 2009 on YouTube.com. 

Regina Benjamin, MD, MBA
2009 Pride in the Profession Award recipient Regina Benjamin, MD, MBA, is the U.S. Surgeon General.  Learn more.

Pride in the Profession Award recipient profiles
A book was recently written about 14 previous Pride in the Profession Award recipients – Characteristics of Compassion: Portraits of Exemplary Physicians by Helen Meldrum.  Note:  This link leads to Amazon.com. The AMA Foundation is not affiliated with the publishing of this book and does not receive proceeds from its sale.   

“…be touched by these wonderful examples of our physician colleagues who go above and beyond practice norms for the betterment of humanity, thereby upholding the highest ideals of the medical profession.”

- William McDade, MD, PhD
Associate Professor and Associate Dean for Multicultural Affairs
University of Chicago Pritzker School of Medicine
Past Chair, AMA Foundation Excellence in Medicine Awards Selection Committee

“These physicians make a difference in the lives of uninsured and underinsured patients through efforts that range from providing mobile health clinics, to opening clinics in both cities and rural communities, to improving health care on a global level. They are selflessly volunteering their time, effort, knowledge and resources to improve people’s health and well being, and I can not think of a more noble calling.”

- Jean Howard
AMA Foundation Past President

The Excellence in Medicine Awards encourage involvement and service throughout the physician lifecycle – from physician-in-training to senior physician. The program shows that at every stage individuals can make a difference. Additionally, the program provides critical leadership, advocacy and communication skills to current and future physicians who are on the front lines in this pivotal time in our nation's health care system history.

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